It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, so taxes are probably the last thing you want to think about. It’s not the most exciting thing to do between sipping eggnog and wrapping gifts, but if you can squeeze in some tax moves by December 31st, it’ll make tax season much less of a headache in April. Here are some year-end moves to make to get the most out of your 2015 taxes and stay organized.

Optimize Your Deductions

Deductions are one of the few things you can look forward to when it comes to your taxes. You can deduct everything from your home office to your tax prep fees, and with a little legwork now, you can ensure you get the most out of those deductions. Fidelity’s Kristen Robinson, SVP of Women and Young Investors, suggested:

Charitable donations are an effective way to reduce your taxable income when you itemize on your tax returns. If you’ve been meaning to make a donation and want to lower your tax bill for 2015, be sure to make your contributions by December 31. Now is also a good time to clean out a closet or basement and donate clothing and household goods. Remember to get receipts for non-cash donations.

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But it’s not just your old coats and kitchen appliances: you can donate cash and get a deduction, too. Of course, the amount you can deduct depends on the fair market value of whatever you’re donating. The IRS has a handful of rules for deducting charitable donations, and those rules basically come down to donating to a “qualified organization” and keeping records of your donation. A qualified organization is pretty straightforward, but the IRS details what counts here.

...the charity takes possession of the stock and then sells the shares itself, and because the charity is a tax-exempt organization, it doesn’t have any tax liability on the sale.Even better, as long as the gain on the shares qualifies for long-term capital gains treatment, you’re allowed to deduct the full market value of the stock at the time of the gift. That gives you a deduction even on the amount of gain on which you avoided having to pay capital gains tax, essentially giving you a double tax benefit on the gift.

Of course, you’re still giving money away, as the amount you owe in taxes wouldn’t be as much as you’d earn from investing. But if you want to donate to a charity anyway, this is a good way to do it and get a tax break at the same time.

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Andthanks to the IRS Mortgage Interest Deduction, you can deduct the interest you pay on your monthly home mortgage. And if you want to squeeze another month in, now is the time to do it. Make your mortgage payments for January by December 31st, and you’ll be able to deduct the interest for 2015, suggests Kay Bell over at Bankrate. Make your property tax payments now, too, so you can deduct those as well.

Prepare for Red Flags

As you wrap up the year, it also helps to be aware of the IRS red flags for an audit. For example, large charitable donations are a big red flag for the IRS, so if you are making a big donation, you want to be extra diligent about getting a receipt and documenting it, just in case.

The home office deduction also raises a lot of red flags, so if you’re planning to write off any home office related expenses—from office supplies to new computer equipment—start gathering receipts for them now. Here are a few other IRS red flags to be aware of:

Business Losses & Schedule C: If you’ve had your business for three years and you’re still reporting a loss, your audit chances increase.

Taking the Earned Income Tax Credit: This is frequently abused, so the IRS is extra vigilant about it. If you’re planning to claim the EITC, read the IRS guidelines and double-check that you qualify.

Earning over $250,000 a year: If you’re a high earner, you want to be extra meticulous about your record keeping.

Beef Up Your Retirement Savings

If you have a tax-deferred retirement account, like a Traditional IRA or 401(k), you can deduct the money you save in that account from your taxable income for the year. It’s a good idea to save for retirement anyway; the tax advantage is just a bonus. Robinson said:

It’s your last chance to contribute for the year to your workplace retirement plan, like a 401(k) or 403(b). You need to act quickly though, to be counted on your 2015 tax return, 401(k) plan contributions must be made by December 31, 2015. The maximum you can contribute this year is $18,000 ($24,000 if you’re over 50 years old). Also consider contributing to a Roth or Traditional IRA. No time like the present, but you have time for this one - you can make contributions to IRA accounts right up to the April 15, 2016 tax-filing deadline.

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Even though you might have until next April to contribute for 2015, doing it now assures you won’t procrastinate until it’s too late. Plus, the sooner you start investing, the better. Even if you can’t reach the limit, putting away just a little bit can help offer a little tax relief next year. Just don’t go over the limits, because doing so can lead to a penalty.

Depending on how much money you make, you might also be eligible for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit. This is basically cash back you get from the IRS for the amount you’ve saved in your retirement accounts. For example, if you’re Married Filing Jointly and you and your spouse earn between 39,501 and 61,000 combined, you can expect to get a credit for 10% of whatever you’ve saved for retirement. Here are the full income limits for 2015 and how much you can expected to be credited, according to the IRS:

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Whether it’s through these credits or your tax-deferred account, squirreling away a few extra nuts in your retirement account could save you a few bucks in April.

If You’re Getting a Refund, Fix It

Getting money back from the government feels great, but it also means you’re overpaying during the year. It’s not as big a deal as a lot of people like to say it is, but if you’d rather have that money in your pocket during the year (who wouldn’t?), it’s easy enough to fix your refund.

You just have to update your W-4 Form and adjust the number of allowances you’re claiming. In general, if you get a refund, it means you’re not claiming enough allowances. TurboTax has a handy withholding calculator that lets you play around with the numbers to see how many allowances you want to claim. From there, it’s as easy as filling out a new form and submitting it to your employer.

Reduce Your Taxable Income

You’ll have to pay taxes on money you earn eventually, but if you’re afraid of your 2015 tax bill, one way to lower it is to reduce your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the year.

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Obviously, you can’t simply adjust your salary, but if your boss is planning to give you a year-end bonus, you might consider asking if they can defer it to January. One of my old employers even asked us if we preferred to do that to avoid the tax hit, which was nice. If you’re a freelancer or self-employed, you might consider postponing your invoices until January, if your clients are okay with that.

If you are self-employed or do freelance or consulting work, you have more leeway. Delaying billings until late December, for example, can ensure that you won’t receive payment until the next year.

Beware the Alternative Minimum Tax

There’s another reason to reduce your adjusted gross income: the alternative minimum tax (AMT). If you earn less than $53,600 (for single filers), you’re exempt from the AMT and you don’t have to worry about it. But if you fall within these limits, you’ll want to pay attention. The AMT is a separate tax that uses its own tax rate and calculation. If your income is over the threshold, you could pay the higher AMT rate instead of your regular taxable income rate.

Consider selling some loser investments held in taxable brokerage firm accounts. You can use the capital losses to offset capital gains, which reduces your [adjusted gross income] and your exposure to the AMT. Any leftover capital losses up to $3,000 are deductible against taxable income from all sources. So your AMT exposure is reduced even further.

On the flip side, if you’ve sold any investments this year for capital gains, that could increase your adjusted gross income and make you eligible for the AMT. So it’s something you want to keep in mind when it comes to dealing with your investments before December.

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Keep in mind, though, when you reduce your AGI, you’re just deferring it to next year. So you might have to pay an even bigger tax bill next year if that deferred amount pushes you into a higher bracket.

Order Tax Forms

If you’re self-employed or you own your own business, there may be forms you need to file by the end of the year. 1099s are a common example. If you hired contractors or subcontractors in 2015 and paid them more than $600, you’ll have to fill out and file Form 1099-MISC.

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You have until January 31st to send these, so you want to make sure to order the forms now, if you haven’t already.

Robinson also recommends checking up on your Flexible Spending Account. In general, you have to use the money in your FSA for health-related expenses before the end of the year, otherwise you lose it. Last year, the rules changed, allowing you to carry over $500, but employers aren’t required to follow that rule, and many don’t. Some FSA plans instead give you a grace period to use up the money in the account. Either way, you want to look into the rules of your FSA now.

The end of the year is creeping up fast, and yes, you have until April before you really start having to worry about taxes. However, the earlier you start thinking about them, the better. These tips should help you optimize your tax prep and make the whole process less of a headache.